Mikel Arteta has established a positive atmosphere at Arsenal since taking charge in 2019, methodically putting together the best possible playing and coaching staff in order to compete with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
While Arteta is largely considered an amicable manager, there is a ruthlessness to the Spaniard, who has taken on Guardiola’s intensity as a head coach after separating from the Catalan when he departed Manchester City.
And there were reports earlier this year that Arteta had fallen out with former assistant Steve Round, who left the club in 2023, following an argument over the signing of David Raya. The goalkeeper joined an initial loan deal before signing permanently last summer, having displaced previous No.1 Aaron Ramsdale.
Steve Round reveals reason behind Arsenal exit
Arsenal Head Coach Mikel Arteta lifts the FA Community Shield with assistant Steve Round after the FA Community Shield match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on August 29, 2020 in London, England.
Steve Round was integral to Arsenal when Mikel Arteta first arrived(Image credit: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Round, though, has now publicly dismissed suggestions he fell out with Arteta, and praised the Arsenal boss for his work at the club.
“I read a piece about that and that's completely untrue, it’s a load of rubbish,” Round said, speaking exclusively on the Footy Accumulators No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 1: Goalkeeper of Arsenal David Raya during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2 match between Arsenal FC and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Emirates Stadium on October 1, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images) Premier League
Reports that Round objected to David Raya's signing were “rubbish”(Image credit: Getty Images)
“There were no arguments or differences of opinion or anything like that. When I first went in with Mikel, I said to him, when the time is right, I think I'll need to move on when it suits us both.
“We had a discussion in that summer [2023] and we said, I think it's time that I went and we were both in agreement with each other. I think I needed to step away from it and have a break. I've been on the front line for nearly 30 years and it was tough.
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“And I think he [Arteta] needed to refresh his staff as well and promote a couple of younger coaches. I'd moved more into the technical director sphere, which is what I'm looking at right now. So I just felt it was the right time.”
On Arteta’s tenure at Arsenal, Round added: “Mikel's a world-class coach. His ability to get his message across tactically and the way to teach that team to play in a cohesive unit is unbelievable.
“I was proud of what we did there, of what we achieved, to go in and help turn a club around that was starting to fail. I helped to rebuild and embrace the culture that was Arsenal and put it back on track.”
The assistant manager role at Arsenal is now shared between Albert Stuivenberg and Carlos Cuesta, while Round has yet to return to football. The 54-year-old was recently linked with the Coventry job, but that went to Frank Lampard.